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Hormones can be the cause of weight gain, but they can also be your body’s secret weight-loss weapons. Here’s how to use nutrition to help maximize your weight-loss progress:

1. Ghrelin: Ghrelin is your hunger gremlin. It is produced in your stomach and, like many fat-loss hormones, works with your brain to signal that you are hungry. Reducing calories, in an effort to lose weight , causes an increase in ghrelin. Even after 12 months of a reduced-calorie diet, research shows that ghrelin levels stay elevated. In other words, your body never adapts to eating less and constantly sends the “I’m hungry” signal, which is why maintaining weight loss is often harder than losing it in the first place.The good news: Intense exercise decreases ghrelin levels, making it a key component to fat loss and weight maintenance.

2. Leptin: Leptin is a type of hormone called an adipokine that is released exclusively from fat cells. Leptin interacts with your brain to get your body to eat less and burn more calories. The more body fat you have, the more leptin your fat cells will release. However, too much body fat leads to too much leptin being released-a condition called leptin resistance. When this occurs, your brain becomes numb to leptin’s signal.To maximize leptin sensitivity, get adequate sleep and pack your diet full of antioxidant-rich berries and green and red vegetables. Losing weight also enhances leptin sensitivity and gives you some momentum, as the more weight you lose, the more effective leptin will become in your body.

3. Adiponectin: Adiponectin is another adipokine, but unlike leptin, the leaner your body is the more adiponectin your fat cells will release. Adiponetin enhances your muscle’s ability to use carbohydrates for energy, boosts your metabolism , increase the rate in which your body breaks down fat, and curbs your appetite.You can maximize your adiponectin levels by moving more during the day (getting leaner) and replacing carbohydrates in your diet with monounsaturated fats (olives, avocados, etc).

4. Insulin: Insulin plays a very important role in your body and is key for recovering from exercise, muscle building, and maintaining optimal blood sugar levels . However, when carbohydrate intakes are high and insulin is left to run wild in the body, it can inhibit the breakdown and burning of stored fat. Insulin and carbohydrates are very tightly linked. The more carbohydrates you eat, the more insulin will be released.To optimize insulin for fat loss, aim to get most of your carbohydrates from vegetables and some fruit. Limit grains and starches to smaller portions directly after exercise.

5. Glucagon: Glucagon is a hormone that acts directly opposite to insulin. While insulin stores carbohydrates and builds fat, glucagon is responsible for breaking down stored carbohydrates and fats and releasing them so your body can use them for energy. Eating a protein-rich, low-carbohydrate meal is the best way to maximize glucagon release.

6. CCK: Short for Cholecystokinin, this hormone is released from the cells in your intestines whenever you eat protein or fat. But CCK doesn’t just stay in your gut. Instead, it communicates with your nervous system to flip the satiety switch while simultaneously working with your stomach to slow the rate of digestion. The end result is that you feel fuller longer. Take full advantage of CCK by making sure you have protein and fat at every meal.

7. Epinephrine: Known as a fight or flight hormone, epinephrine drives the burning of fat and its release for energy in the body. Epinephrine can also aid in appetite suppression. Exercise is the best way to turn on epinephrine release in your body, interval training in particular cranks up epinephrine.

8. Growth hormone: Considered to be the fountain of youth by many, growth hormone also helps with fat loss. Growth hormone interacts with fat cells and coaxes them to break down and burn stored fat for energy.Growth hormone can be increased through intense exercise like intervals or circuit training and sleep. To maximize the fat-burning effect of growth hormone, train hard and sleep well.

Dietician Deepika Aggarwal Katyal of Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals says that there are differences in our body chemistries based on blood type that determine what foods we digest optimally. “Knowing your blood type, and eating and exercising according to it, is the key to avoiding health and weight problems. For instance, type O- the oldest blood type, genetically speaking, indicates a need to eat meat every day because the earliest human populations were hunter-gatherers. Similarly, people with type A are descendants from agrarian cultures and hence vegetarian diet suits them best,” explains Katyal.

O: People with this blood type are usually focused, energetic and organized. If your blood group is O, then your diet should comprise lean meat, chicken or fish (like bass, cod, halibut, sole and rainbow trout), seafood and salt (in moderation), which lowers the levels of iodine, giving you optimal thyroid function. Avoid too much of dairy products such as milk, butter or cheese, and even carbs including wheat and wheat-based food products. Engage in regular jogging, cycling and swimming.

A: People with this blood group are highly creative, sensitive and excellent problem-solvers. If you are a hardcore non-vegetarian though, there’s some bad news in here because the right diet for people with A blood type is vegetarian. Your diet must include nuts, seeds, cereals, pasta, fruit and vegetables. Cut down your sugar, caffeine and alcohol intake. Stress is a common problem with people of this blood group, so practice yoga, Tai Chi or simply go for long walks.

B: People with this blood type are usually relaxed and unconventional, and have unique individualistic traits. You need to eat a moderate diet — like a bit of everything. Fill up on leafy greens and vegetables, and also fruits including bananas, grapes, plums and pineapple. Meat, fish, coffee, vegetables and wheat-free grains are perfect for your diet. Go easy on nuts, corns, grains and processed food. Team sports or activities like basketball, dance classes are good for you.

AB: Equipped with great leadership qualities and a special interest for art are the usual character traits of people with this blood type. Go for a vegetable and fruit-rich diet with a variety of carbohydrates. Snack on fresh fruits including cherries, grapes, watermelon and figs. You can have non-vegetarian food too but more of seafood, salmon and tuna. Avoid all smoked and cured meats as well as chicken, beef, pork or shellfish. Steer clear of all caffeine and alcohol. Light jogging, yoga and calming exercises are good for you.

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For health and exercise enthusiasts, Proasis conveniently provides 25 grams of protein, 5 gms carbohydrates with Co-Q10 and Vitamin D3 and zero fat in an all-natural, ready-to-drink vial weighing less than three fluid ounces.
For medical patients with special protein needs, Proasis provides critical nutrition. Proasis may be administered orally or via feeding tube. Orally, it can be consumed by itself as a ready-to-drink beverage. It may also be mixed with other foods, beverages (any temperature), or supplements.
Proasis protein therapy is recommended for patients when high-density nutrition (i.e. maximum grams of protein per fluid ounce), low glycemic index, low allergen content, high bioavailability, or excellent palatability is a critical requirement.
Oftentimes, patients with special dietary requirements have difficulty consuming protein because they cannot tolerate the taste, the volume, the protein allergens, or the protein structure (eg. large or denatured protein molecules).
Proasis addresses these challenges by providing 25 grams of Actinase® in a ready-to-drink form. Actinase is an all-natural protein compound with the following characteristics:
Palatable
Actinase has a very neutral organoleptic profile (i.e. the characteristics related to the sense of taste and smell). Actinase also has a smooth texture. These features provide the foundation for the palatable flavors without the use of heavy flavorings or sweeteners.
Hypoallergenic
To understand how and why Actinase is hypoallergenic, a brief explanation of hydrolization is required. Actinase undergoes a process called enzymatic hydrolysis. This process breaks protein molecules into smaller units called peptides. The average molecular weight of the peptides in Actinase is 1,400 daltons (“dalton” is the unit of measurement for atomic weight). The human body can readily digest and absorb peptides, which is why they are also used in infant formulas. A byproduct of the hydrolization process is that many of the allergens typically found in proteins are removed.
Highly Bioavailable
Actinase is easy to digest because the protein molecules are enzymatically hydrolyzed to form peptides (i.e. small protein molecules). Peptides are easier for the body to digest and assimilate.
Concentrated
The molecular structure of Actinase is extremely dense, making Proasis the most concentrated protein beverage on the market. Proasis provides more protein per ounce than any other beverage. This unique characteristic allows patients to consume ample amounts of protein in a very small fluid volume (eg. 25 grams of protein in 2.9 fluid ounces).

This isn’t just a sign that you need to buy a bigger size. It also may be a sign that you need to pay more attention to your health.

An expanding waistline can increase your chances for cancer.

Studies suggest that a trim tummy is just as important as having a healthy weight or Body Mass Index (BMI). That jiggle in the tummy increases your chances of getting colorectal cancer and possibly pancreatic, breast (after menopause) and uterine cancers, says the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR).

“It’s not just fat directly under the skin,” says Sally Scroggs, M.S., R.D., L.D., health education manager in M. D. Anderson’s Cancer Prevention Center. “A wide waist also is a sign that fat may be growing around important organs, like the pancreas.”

Belly fat may increase insulin in the body
Extra belly fat causes your body to make too much insulin. High amounts of insulin cause your body to produce too many cells, which can lead to cancer.

Belly fat also can do bad things to sex hormones, like estrogen, which may increase your chances of developing breast cancer.

Measure your waist to check for health
The AICR suggests that women aim for a 31.5-inch waist or below and men a 37-inch waist or below. Follow the steps below to see how you measure up.
1. Place a tape measure around your waist at the narrowest point between the bottom of your ribs and the top of your hipbone.
2. Make sure the tape is snug but doesn’t squeeze your skin.
3. Measure your waist after breathing out.

Another important measurement is your waist-to-hip ratio. To get this number, place the tape measure loosely around the largest area of your hips. This area is usually around your buttocks. Take note of this number. Now, divide your waist measurement by your hip measurement to get your waist-to-hip ratio. Men should keep their ratio below 0.95 and women below 0.80.

A healthy BMI is in the 18.5 to 24.9 range. Normally, if your waist measurement or waist-to-hip ratio is higher than recommended, your BMI also would be above the suggested weight range. However, it is possible to have a normal BMI and still have a high waist measurement or waist-to-hip ratio. If this is the case, doctors still would consider your chances of getting cancer to be higher than normal.

If you’ve got a muscular body, it is possible to have a normal waist measurement or waist-to-hip ratio and an above normal BMI number. In this case, your doctor may look at your total body fat to decide if your chances of getting cancer are higher than normal.

Stay lean as possible around the waist
“Keeping a lean tummy is important for everyone at every age,” Scroggs says.

If your resolution this year is to tighten those abs, it’s as easy as staying active every day, and choosing the right types and amount of food.

The main mechanism is that it helps the body to consume fat as a form of “fuel”, regardless of the activities they have, and get spectacular results in terms of pounds lost.

Why keto diet?

Because it’s impossible not to pay off (really good results) as long as basic rules are followed, and that:

1. have found links between this regime and the entry of certain types of cancers in remission;
2. lowers blood pressure and that users quickly lose pounds from the early days;
3. epilepsy patients response to certain drugs is improved;
4. allows diabetics to better control their daily food plan;

The ketogenic diet seems to provide you long-term outcomes. The diet rules are. Losing weight process takes place in two stages. The first one is the attack phase whose length depends on how many pounds do you want to get rid of. You have to create a deficit of 500 kcal (eat 500 kcal less than you should eat to maintain your weight). In the first week you will notice a drastic decrease in bodyweight, then you start to lose 1-2 pound per week. After the first month, once a week, you can eat carbs, but you are not allowed to eat fat that day.

You are not allowed to eat: fruits, potatoes, dairy products that may contain unfermented lactose, honey, sugar, alcohol, fizzy drinks/carbonated beverage. In the attack phase are prohibited cereal foods, including bread, pasta, polenta.

Why this diet? What are the advantages of this diet?

Not only do you lose a considerable amount of weight in a short time, but you also do not have to bother calculating the intake every time you eat as many food groups are removed, so there are few choices to make. The disadvantages are many and serious as the diet is based on a high consumption of protein and fat, almost completely excluding carbohydrates, so a major deviation from a balanced diet. Significant contribution of protein induces high stress on the liver and kidneys. It can reach nutritional deficits and reduce the body’s defense capacity.

Tips&Tricks – Our pieces of advice

Drink plenty of water, even if it means to go to the toilet often. Residues resulting from the decomposition of fat cells need to be removed and the colon needs to be kept as clean as possible;

A reliable ally can be light drinks, cola type 0. No calories and can reduce cravings for sweet;

Every 7-10 days you can take a day break in order to recharge with carbohydrates and eat all you want without caloric limit. You get out of the state of ketosis, but you come up with fresh forces to relapse diet;

Avoid temptations. In other words, do not make candy supplies or bakery products, as you can easily fell into the trap. It would be a shame for the work you have done for a few minutes of pleasure out of the state of fat burning;

Carefully monitor daily food plan: it is very possible to hide certain types of carbohydrates in food, but if you put it on paper, hidden carbohydrates should come out;

Do not be worried about the acidity in the body. If the kidneys are perfectly healthy, then there will be problems. Indeed, ketogenic diet increases internal acidity, but not in alarming limits and not dangerous. To normalize the acidity, drink alkaline water as much as possible.

The ketogenic diet is a treatment that can help many children with seizures. It is a medical therapy requiring the supervision of a specialized dietitian and neurologist. This carefully calculated diet can be quite high in fat, adequate in protein and low in carbohydrates when compared to a usual diet. Calories are also precisely calculated to support appropriate growth. The diet is not nutritionally complete on its own and will require the use of vitamin and mineral supplementation.

The diet initiation often requires a brief hospital admission. Fine tuning and maintaining the diet to achieve optimal seizure control is monitored on an outpatient basis. The length of time that a child requires ketogenic diet therapy remains undetermined and will need to be discussed with your dietitian and neurologist during regular follow up visits.

A discussion with your pediatric neurologist will help you determine if you or your child is a candidate for ketogenic diet therapy. The ketogenic diet clinic will provide you with the clinical support that your child requires. Recognizing however that adapting to this new diet lifestyle can be difficult, our multidisciplinary team will provide family-centred support. You will have access to the following members of our team:

Should you receive a referral into our Ketogenic Diet Clinic you may journey through several stages before beginning the diet:

1. First Stage — Outpatient Clinic Visit

Introduction to the Ketogenic Diet Multidisciplinary Team.
Initial Questions and Answers about the diet

2. Second Stage — Outpatient Visit(s)

Meeting with dietitian, child life specialist and social worker
Goals: Introduction to keto meals and hands on preparation (continued)
Identifying and problem solving around issues that may impede adjustment of your child and family onto the diet.
Introduce the monitoring expectations of the parent/caregiver.

3. Third Stage — Inpatient Admission

Goal: To initiate and clinically monitor the induction of the ketogenic diet

25 Tips to lose weight

and reduce abdominal fat, tone your body,
and feel good!

“If you exercise and eat for health and fitness you will end up looking and feeling great for the rest of your life. If you exercise and diet to look good you will eventually gain more weight and you will never be fit.Always ask yourself, what is my motivation?”

21. Read labels. Look for no or low sugar grams, no trans fat and only whole wheat.

22. Take a good quality multi vitamin/mineral a day

23. Eat tofu, Beans, and Legumes

24. Never go on a restrictive diet or on a program diet (They only serve to mess with your metabolism and eventually make you gain more weight, in the long run.) To maintain a good weight and toned body requires a lifestyle change, not a fad diet or program.

25. Feel good about who you are, as you are. Acceptance is key

This is a lifestyle change and if followed will reduce your weight, tone your body and make you feel great.Use at your own risk and discretion, and only with a doctor’s permission.

The ketogenic diet is a high-fat, adequate-protein, low-carbohydrate diet. The diet mimics aspects of starvation by forcing the body to burn fats rather than carbohydrates. Normally, the carbohydrates contained in food are converted into glucose, which is then transported around the body and is particularly important in fueling brain function. However, if there is very little carbohydrate in the diet, the liver converts fat into fatty acids and ketone bodies. The ketone bodies pass into the brain and replace glucose as an energy source. Ketosis is the state characterized by elevated levels of ketone bodies in the blood. Very simply put ketosis is when your body stops using glucose for energy and instead uses fat broken down into ketones.

Probably. Some people respond better to it than others, but most people seem to respond to it pretty well. Sometimes people have problems in the beginning (fuzziness in the head and problems concentrating are the common complaints with these people) and can’t seem to make the adjustment. If you’re one of these people the diet may not be worth it for you. Most of the time, however, those feelings only last for a few days to a week and are most severe the first time you go into ketosis.

I have diabetes, is keto good for me?

Diabetes Type I may benefit from ketosis, but it might not be the most ideal diet for someone with the disorder. Anyone with Diabetes Type I who is looking to lose weight should seek guidance from a physician on the topic firstly and understand any advice taken from this reddit on the subject is not professional.

If someone with Diabetes Type I decides to follow keto or low-carb they should be sure to keep a close eye on their blood sugar because ketoacidosis is a dangerous state that can occur in a person with Diabetes Type I.

Why does the keto or low-carb diet work?

The carbohydrate hypothesis lends to the idea that chronically elevated insulin levels lead to fat gain since insulin makes you store fat as part of blood sugar regulation. When insulin levels are controlled through the keto diet, your body releases fat from your storage cells and burns the fat off.

How do I get started?

Pretty simply just start limiting your net daily carb intake to 50g or less. This is adequate for most people but you may need to go lower. Your macro-nutrient goals should be about 60% fat, 35% protein and the other 5% carbs. It’s OK if the fat and protein numbers fluctuate but keep your carb intake to 5% or less. This means you’ll be eating things like whole eggs, fish, beef, chicken and turkey, green vegetables, extra virgin olive oil, cheese, butter, cream, nuts, seeds and, of course, bacon.

How do I know if I’m in ketosis?

The short answer is that if your carb intake is low enough you’ll be in ketosis. It may take a couple of weeks the first time. Ketostix can show you if you’re in ketosis by measuring the excess ketones in your urine. If you’re hydrated well enough or if you’re using all the ketones for energy you could be in ketosis without getting a positive result on the ketositx. Some people notice a metallic/acetone taste in their mouth or a strong smell of their urine.

How long should I do keto?

For as long as it’s working for you or until you reach your goals. If you find you’re regularly running out of energy but still haven’t reached your fat loss goals you might want to switch to a CKD or TKD.

How many carbs should I be eating?

A ketogenic diet is generally one with fewer than 50g of carbs making up no more than 10% of your calories per day. A low-carb diet is generally considered one with less than 150g of carbs a day, making up <30% of total calories. A low-carb diet is not designed to induce ketosis.

If I’m doing keto do I still need to count calories?

Yes and no. For some people simply cutting out all the carbs lowers their total caloric intake low enough to lose weight. For others they still need to focus on eating less and should keep track of their calories. Even the first group of people, however, would benefit from logging their food intake at least occasionally to get an idea of how many calories they’re eating and what the macro-nutrient breakdown is. Although it’s more difficult, you can still gain fat on a ketogenic diet so you can’t go hog wild on things like bacon and cheese.

Vegetables are high in carbs, should I stop eating them?

No, absolutely not. US nutritional values show vegetables as being high in carbs, but most of those carbs are in the form of fiber. (EU and most other labels show fiber as a separate category). Fiber isn’t broken down and absorbed by your body so it should not be counted towards your carb total. For example, one cup of Avocado cubes has about 10g of carbs, but 7 of them are fiber so you’d only count 3g towards your daily carb total. Most vegetables are also low calorie so they’re good filler foods. They’re also full of necessary nutrients.

Can I drink alcohol on keto?

Yes, you can, just watch the carbs in your beverage of choice. In that respect, spirits (whiskey, vodka, etc) and dry wine are more keto-friendly than beer, sweet wine, or sugary cocktails. Drinking won’t kick you out of ketosis, but will slow down or delay your weight loss progress. Also, many keto dieters report drastic reduction of alcohol tolerance and heavier hangovers.

Will keto work without all that fat?

To a point. The rule of thumb is to try and get about 1g of protein per pound of lean body mass (LBM), keep your net carbs lower than 50g per day, and get the rest of your calories from dietary fat. (Protein=4 Kcal/g, Carbs=4 Kcal/g and Fat=9 Kcal/g) Some people may need to go lower with their carb intake to reach ketosis and people trying to add muscle may want to go higher with their protein intake. Fat is also important because it contains valuable nutrients, it helps with satiety, and it makes food taste better.

While the AIWO KEN™ Program does not require surgery, any medical procedure requires careful thought and consideration. The AIWO KEN™ System is not going to be for everyone.

To qualify for the AIWO KEN™ Program you must be motivated and ready to comply with a serious, medically supervised health programme tailored to your needs.

AIWO KEN™ is suitable for

• Moderately overweight Person who have been unable to achieve their desired weight loss through traditional weight loss methods such as diet & exercise.
• People who are not eligible for, or who are uncomfortable with, other forms of weight loss surgery who are aiming to lose 10 to 15kg.
• Patients with BMI of ≥ 27 who are willing to participate in an established medically-supervised diet & behaviour modification programme with regular follow-up.
Taking that first step …

The first step is to talk to a qualified and trained doctor who is the only person who will advise you and perhaps start you on the AIWO KEN™ Program with loss journey. Your doctor may also advise you that you might not be a suitable candidate for the AIWO KEN™ Program.

If you have a medical history including any of the following you need to discuss with your doctor about whether you are right for the AIWO KEN™ Program. It is likely that these conditions will preclude you from using the System.

• Previous gastrointestinal surgery, any inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal tract, potential upper gastrointestinal bleeding or other congenital anomalies, large hiatal hernia or other structural abnormality in the oesophagus or larynx.

• Any other medical conditions that would not permit endoscopy.
• Unwillingness to adopt the dietary habits and behavior change critical to the success of the therapy.
• Drug or alcohol addiction.
• Pregnancy or breastfeeding.
• Major prior or present psychological disorder.

Tell your doctor if you are taking aspirin, anti-inflammatory agents, anticoagulants or other gastric irritants.

As with all medical procedures there are potential risks of unforeseen, unknown or adverse reactions to medications and the procedure itself. Please discuss your questions and expectations about the AIWO KEN™ Program with an informed doctor and evaluate the benefits versus possible risks.